A Sprinkle of Cinnamon
by Arinia
Summary: For the Tumblr Secret Santa Rarepair Exchange. It had always been the three of them: Gilbert, Francis, Antonio. Through thick and thin, them against the world. Opening a coffee shop shouldn't have changed anything. For Gilbert and Antonio, it opened Pandora's box.


A Sprinkle of Cinnamon

If Gilbert had a dollar for every time someone called one of his schemes half-baked, ridiculous, or just plain nuts, well, he'd be quite a rich man.

Which is why it was so easy for him to ignore the naysayers when he and his two best friends banded together to open their own cafe. True, none of them had any business experience to speak of, and true, mixing business and pleasure often ended in disaster. But, hardly anyone truly understood the trio's unique connection. Friends since childhood, having been through every life milestone side by side. High school drama, going to separate colleges, moments of serious crisis, nothing in the world had ever torn them apart. There was no way in hell opening a business would, either.

Besides, they all possessed a sort of mad ingenuity, and when welded together, a little bit of magic seemed to happen. It was only natural as they made their way out into the world, no career seeming quite right for any of them, that they would gravitate back towards each other.

It was Francis who had come with the idea, one night over drinks, as their hair-brained schemes often occurred. The baking side hustle he was doing out of his tiny kitchen apartment had surprisingly gained traction, and he was looking to expand.

"I can't possibly do it without you two," he had said, eyes wide with sincerity, grasping their hands with his own. Gilbert and Antonio had exchanged a glance, identical grins curving their lips. Antonio had grabbed Gilbert's hand as well, giving it a squeeze, eyes lingering on him for just a moment.

"You know we're with you all the way, Fran!"

That's how it had always been with them. Up to no good. Affectionate in ways only they could understand. Always having each other's backs.

Gilbert never thought it would change.

! ! ! !

Despite the critics' doomsday predictions, business was booming. Francis' delectable desserts, Antonio's knack for beverages, and Gilbert's inexhaustible supply of charm, made for a force to be reckoned with. Gilbert, always a restless spirit to begin with, relished in the long, gruelling hours. There was a certain ego boost from seeing the fruits of his labour pay off so nicely, and hell, even stick-in-the-mud Ludwig had come around to the idea: _It's keeping you out of trouble, at the very least_. Which was his way of saying he was proud of his dear older brother.

Francis usually worked the mornings, toiling away to make every last pastry perfect, which left Gilbert and Antonio working more and more nights together. It was a bit odd at first; they so rarely spent time together just one on one, but as more time passed, Gilbert found he didn't mind. Antonio had an infectious personality; bright eyes and beaming smiles. The kind of person who could make someone feel as though no one else mattered in the world except them.

It almost seemed impossible, but Gilbert felt as if he liked him more than ever before.

"I need your expert opinion on something." Gilbert turned, that trademark smirk tugging at his lips as he looked over at Antonio. It was a quiet night, all the university students having left for the Christmas holidays, and aside from a few lonely patrons, it was just the two of them.

"Well if you need an expert, don't bother looking further." He eyed the mug in Antonio's hands, festively decorated by Francis himself. Antonio had been working himself senseless on some secret project, shooing the other two away whenever they tried to catch a glimpse.

"This drink I've been working on. Something to make us stand out from the competition, and I think I've finally got the recipe!" Those warm brown eyes glittered underneath the gaudy Christmas lights they had strung along the walls. It was hard to look away, and the smirk softened a tad.

"Well, let me be the judge of that." He made a motion to grab the mug from Antonio, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when the mug instead was lifted to his lips. A curious sensation rolled down his spine, setting his nerves alight, acquiescing to letting Antonio tip the liquid into his mouth, their eyes never leaving each other.

"Peppermint from crushed candy canes, nutmeg, a touch of eggnog, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Just the way you like it." The last sentence was soft, the noises from their patrons fading like white noise into the background. It was warm, delicious, and sweet, seeming to spread to Gilbert's aching limbs and breathe new life into him. Antonio's finger came up, delicately brushing a drop of coffee from his lips, and Gilbert again felt that explosion of tingles rocketing down his spine.

"What are you, my mother?" he quipped between a suddenly dry throat, trying hard to keep the warmth working its way through his chest out of his face. What was this? How could a simple touch spark such a reaction? He had never felt sensations like this around Antonio before in their nearly two decades of friendship.

It was unnerving.

Antonio simply laughed, taking a long sip himself. It wasn't lost on Gilbert he took a drink from the same place Gilbert had. "Trying to mother you would put me in an early grave, Gil." He nudged him, the moment passing, as if it had never been there in the first place. "So, what do you think? Is it good enough for the legendary Gilbert Beilschmidt?"

Gilbert quickly shook off the strange emotions. He was good at that; burying things out of sight and pretending nothing was out of the ordinary. It was how he managed to raise Ludwig as a scared 17 year old and not completely fuck things up. He slung an arm around his friend, fixing that smirk firmly back into place.

"It passes the test! So you better quit hiding it from the public and share it with our humble customers! And, no need to share with Francis. If I like it, that's enough of a victory."

Something strange flickered across Antonio's face. Thought clouded his eyes, staring out at the snowy streets.

"No," he spoke with unusual quietness, so that Gilbert had to strain to hear. "This will just be between us."

! ! ! !

Gilbert had never much liked Christmas. Too much sappiness, too many emotions on display. It served as a painful reminder of all that he had lost in his young life. Sometimes he felt like he was 17 years old again, clutching his little brother's hand tightly in his own, realizing he'd have to somehow cobble together a family lest Ludwig get taken away from him.

Christmas was a time Gilbert found it hardest to mask himself with his trademark arrogance. Vulnerability was a deeply rooted fear, and it had chased away so many people in his life. Only a select few seemed to stick around, willing to overlook his many flaws. It was why he held so tightly to Antonio and Francis. This wasn't a simple friendship; this was a brotherhood, and besides Ludwig, there was nothing more important in Gilbert's life than making sure those ties never frayed.

But, things were changing. Rapidly.

Something was shifting between Antonio and him, and it grew more apparent each day. Gilbert had ignored it at first, but somehow, somewhere, it had grown so big it stared him in the face. The way his heart raced with Antonio's lingering touches. The too-long hugs as they parted ways after work, breathing in his scent and letting it burn his lungs. The fantasies beginning to fill his mind on lonely nights, as Ludwig went out with Lovino, and his hands began to wander.

Gilbert was no blushing virgin. He wasn't an idiot, either. He knew too well what was happening to him, and he was infuriated with himself. Sure, young and drunk, his friends had kissed a few times. Even joked about bedding each other and seeing who was best.

This was different. This was off-limits.

And this was becoming all consuming.

By all accounts, Antonio felt it too. He could see the way he looked at him out of the corner of his eye as he brewed drinks. Felt the way his breath ghosted across as his cheek as he peered over his shoulder at their readouts for the day. Neither had spoken the forbidden to life, content to pretend as if nothing had changed. And, the few times Francis was around, they could almost trick themselves into believing it.

On those long winter nights, where snow blew in with every customer, where happy couples filled with Christmas spirit shared coffee and sweets, it became harder to bury their heads in the sand.

They were locking up for the night, wallets fat with profits, and moods cheery with the coming holiday. Gilbert was re-telling his favourite story of when he found out about Ludwig and Lovino, catching them making out in the kitchen, and watching them both turn red and try to deny it. Lovino was something like a little brother to Antonio, and he had only been too thrilled when the surly Italian had found love.

It was easy to re-tell this story. Comforting, because Gilbert could channel these mixed up feelings into something acceptable. Antonio was content to let him, smiling in all the right places though he had heard it a thousand times before. Each smile made Gilbert's heart swoop, and he was beginning to resent that feeling.

"It's the unlikely pairs that somehow work the best, hm?" Antonio replied with a laugh when Gilbert could milk the story no more. "They're good for each other. Lovino is much less cranky since Ludwig came into his life."

"Ahhh, Lud is still an asshole. I thought dating an Italian might loosen him the hell up, but what can you do? Lud is Lud." Snow crunched under their boots, falling into their hair and sprinkling across reddened cheeks. He felt fingers tighten around his gloved hands and he looked at Antonio alarmed.

"The hell are you doing?"

"What? I can't hold my best friend's hand?" That beaming smile never left his face, but Antonio's eyes were heavy and searching. Gilbert felt his throat go dry all over again. This was bad. This was very, very bad.

"Well, fuck, if you need some assistance to stop from slipping on ice like an old lady, you just need to fucking say so." His heart pounded in his ears despite the sneer on his face. Antonio just had to push it, didn't he? He was so much like Francis, unable to keep from wearing his heart on his sleeve. Wasn't he content to pretend like nothing was changing? That they weren't about to screw up their trio and potentially piss of Francis? Gilbert had thought that unspoken rule had been pretty clear.

The silence was awkward as they walked, though neither seemed willing to drop hands first. What was this even? What did Antonio want? A relationship? Gilbert was terrible with relationships. He had none of Francis' suaveness or Antonio's patience. It wasn't as if he was against commitment, per se, but he saw little reason to open himself up for hurt when he could satisfy his needs with a one-night stand. He had Ludwig, annoying though he was. He had his friends. What more companionship did he need?

They reached the streetlight where they parted ways and still, Antonio didn't relinquish his grasp. He was staring at Gilbert, those warm brown eyes filled with an open sort of longing that made Gilbert's heart twist. Antonio shouldn't be looking at him like that. He shouldn't like Antonio looking at him like that.

"It's been nice working with you the way we have. I love Fran, of course, but we never really got to know each other outside the three of us." That soft, thoughtful voice from before had returned, and Gilbert found himself being sucked in.

"Ha, well, I'm glad my presence could bring a little joy to your boring life." Why did he insist on doing that? Covering up any soft moment with hubris? Small wonder he couldn't hold down a relationship.

But, Antonio's face didn't falter. He tightened his grip, a bold hand coming up to brush the snowflakes from Gilbert's impossibly blond hair. Gilbert felt his blood freeze in his veins, lips parting in subconscious anticipation.

"I mean it, Gilbert," and he never used his full name like that, never. "I feel like I know you even better now. It's hard to explain." He stepped forward, and Gilbert couldn't bring himself to step back. That smile was too soft, too familiar. He was being drawn in, unable to stop himself. The streetlight only highlighted Antonio's handsome face. How had he never noticed that before?

"Toni..." a warning died on his lips. For once, the notorious Gilbert Beilschmidt could think of nothing to say. Antonio was inches from his face now, and he could every fleck of brown in those green eyes.

"Just let me try this," he whispered, voice low and enticing. "I know you've been feeling it too, Gilbert. I just need to see if it's real."

Gilbert knew it was coming and he did nothing to stop him.

Lips connected, his blood sang in his veins, bursting like fireworks as they kissed. He hadn't kissed Antonio in years, and not like this; not where hands were entangled together, and tongues flicked daringly into each other's mouths. He could taste the lingering cinnamon from Antonio's recent concoction, and Gilbert only pressed closer.

"Fuck," Gilbert breathed when they finally pulled apart, lips tingling to the point of numbness. "What the fuck did we just do, Antonio?"

Antonio didn't answer; a torn mix of pleasure and alarm splashed across his face. It dawned on them both what line they had just crossed, how they couldn't go so easily back from this. There was no alcohol dulling their senses, an easy target to place blame. There was only snowflakes and coffee and two people who had just shifted their friendship forever.

"We have to tell Francis." Gilbert pulled back for real this time, anger colouring his pallid cheeks and flashing in his eyes.

"Tell Francis?! And what is he going to think of this? We're supposed to be friends! Three amigos and all that shit! You think he deserves to third wheel it with us?! And what do you even want Antonio?!" It all sputtered out, that temper, always lurking underneath charming smiles and dizzying vanity. He rarely exploded on his friends, but it was hard to stop the conflicting emotions tearing him apart.

Kissing Antonio, God nothing had ever felt so damn right in his life. He had lost count at how many people he had kissed, didn't care to know, really. But, he knew for sure that a kiss like that was unlike anything he had ever experienced. He could still feel the warmth thrumming through his limbs, recklessly urging him forward to press their lips together again.

But, there was so much wrong with this. What if it all ended in flames and he lost his best friend, the man he considered to be a brother? What if Francis resented them, seething with isolation as Gilbert and Antonio spent more and more time together. This would change everything and Gilbert hated change. Hated feeling out of control and slavish to his emotions.

Antonio didn't flinch. Despite the myriad of expressions, there was no apology in his gaze, and that scared Gilbert more. Because Antonio had his own recklessness, and Gilbert knew him well enough to know he wasn't going to go back on this.

"I want to be with you." A simple statement that carried so much weight. "I can't deny it any longer. I tried, Gil. You know what Fran always says, you can't help who you love-"

"Don't bring him into this!" He was pacing now, and it was hard to look at Antonio and not have his lips tingle with the memory of their kiss. "God, what the hell are you even saying? You know how shit I am with relationships. Look-look it's one thing if we like... like we fucked you know-" It was Antonio's turn to cut him off.

"It's not just about sleeping together. I don't know Gil, I just... these past few months, we've been getting so close, and I've noticed so many things about you I didn't before. Like how you stick your tongue out when you're concentrating really hard, or how you bite your lips before you have a big laugh." Gilbert was staring at him, desperately trying to reinforce his walls, not wanting Antonio to see how his words were sinking into his skin and his heart.

Antonio knew. He could see by the look in his eyes.

"This could screw everything up. You know that." The confession danced on his lips, shameful and blunt. He couldn't lose his two best friends. They were his rock, the only reason he had any semblance of sanity in this screwed up world.

"Or it could be the best thing. Can't we take a chance?" Gilbert didn't respond, thin chest rising and falling from exertion. Antonio dared to step forward. "I know your flaws, Gil. I know mixing friendship and business and romance is maybe a bit stupid-" Gilbert snorted in agreement but Antonio plowed on, "but maybe I am a bit stupid. And I'm alright with that."

Gilbert said nothing, mind racing ahead of him with all the possibilities. This was happening so fast, even if in hindsight, he should have known this would happen sooner or later. Antonio was persistent, and that he had held out this long from kissing Gilbert was a testament in of itself how much he had thought this over. Could he really risk their friendship for some remote possibility of long-term happiness?

"I need to think about it. Alright?" He stepped back, heel scraping against the concrete. "But until then, we don't breathe a word about this."

He couldn't get the image of Antonio's crestfallen face out of his mind all night.

! ! ! !

Gilbert should have expected this to happen.

Neither he or Antonio were exactly known for their impulse control. And with the cat being out of the bag, their unspoken rule of pretending nothing was happening had been shredded. Gilbert had thought about that first kiss all night, unable to help himself from replaying it over and over in his mind.

Antonio certainly didn't help matters. Wearing that intoxicating cologne, giving him that infamous, dazzling smile whenever Gilbert was nearby. How the hell was he supposed to be thinking about Francis when every time Antonio winked at him his knees went weak like a goddamn school girl?

It wasn't long before they wound up in bed together, and that too, had been an experience that seared itself in Gilbert's memory. Watching Antonio arch underneath him in pleasure, limbs tangled and hot breath crashing together. Once they had finished, Gilbert knew there was no going back. They had crossed the final barrier, and it had been even better than he imagined.

Because it wasn't simple fucking, and that fact alone was enough to give the normally unstoppable Gilbert pause. There was real emotions swelling to the surface, making kisses soft and tender, making gentle hands trace over his pale skin as though he were a priceless artifact. He knew Antonio was an excellent lover; he had seen the evidence with his parade of relationships over the years. But, it still surprised Gilbert how much he was damn swooning over the man, how every kiss sent his heart into an erratic rhythm.

He wanted this. He was surprised at how much he wanted this.

As Christmas bled into New Years, and Gilbert could deny it no more, he at last acquiesced. Grabbing his arm, white fingers capturing his pointed chin. Antonio stared readily back, unflinching, unafraid. Perhaps that was why Gilbert was so drawn to him. Antonio knew him inside and out. Didn't flinch away from some of his aggression, his sometimes rough way of expressing his emotions. He held his own, and that was damn wonderful.

"Alright. We tell Francis. I have no idea how he's gonna fucking take this, but we can't keep lying to him. Because," and he drew in a deep breath, pressing their lips together and drawing strength from the ever present cinnamon, "this clearly isn't stopping."

Antonio covered his hand with his own. "Have faith in him, Gil. He's never let us down before."

Gilbert hoped to God he was right.

! ! ! !

It was where it had all began. Their coffee shop. Their passion project. A testament to decades of unbreakable friendship. And Gilbert and Antonio were about to change all that in one fell swoop. Gilbert wasn't sure if it was some twisted irony or cruelly fitting they would break the news here, but no where else seemed quite right.

He missed Francis, he realized, sitting across from him in the booth, blinds drawn so that only a few beams of sunlight struggled through. Working the shifts he had, he rarely saw him anymore outside work, and Christ, it had been too long since the three of them had been together. This only made the stakes higher, and Gilbert couldn't stop the pressing anxiety weighing down on him.

Francis knew there was something afoot. Clever eyes followed his two friends sharply, and only sheer arrogance kept Gilbert from quailing under that intense gaze.

"You wanted to talk to me?" He was calm, perfectly poised like always. Long blond hair drawn up into a ponytail, thick and shiny. Francis was handsome too, though in a far different way than Antonio. Whereas Francis was delicate, Antonio exuded a strength, a daring beauty that was in your face. Gilbert, for all his talk, didn't think much of his looks, though he certainly appreciated the ego trip from Antonio fawning over his unique appearance.

Antonio, unapologetic as always, was gripping Gilbert's hand underneath the table. Gilbert wasn't exactly sure who he expected to fool, given how well Francis knew them and how he could quite easily look under the table and catch them. Nevertheless, he had to admit, it was comforting.

Gilbert wasn't one to get nervous. He had no patience for that nonsense. Yet here he was, palms slick with sweat and heart beating so fast he felt weak. This was more than simple nerves. This was decades of friendship hanging in the balance all because he and Antonio couldn't keep it in their pants.

But, that wasn't true. It had moved beyond physical. It had never rested on physical from the start, truthfully. And Gilbert felt like he was going to be forced to choose, between this blossoming wonder with Antonio, or the security of his trio.

"Something happened, Fran," Antonio started, and Gilbert was selfishly grateful. Left to him, he would have blurted it out, and let the chips fall where they may. "And you deserve the truth." Francis' eyes flicked between them, but his face gave away nothing. God, that scared Gilbert, because he normally could read Francis like a book.

The silence was suffocating. Awkward, and heavy, and not at all like what it was supposed to be like. Gilbert could stand it no more. "We're together," he blurted out.

Antonio froze beside him, and Francis' eyes widened. Gilbert carried on, raw and vulnerable, two emotions he despised. "It just kind of happened, we were together so much and before we know it, we're fucking. You've got every right to be pissed at us and I know it seems insane..." he trailed off, words getting stuck in his throat. Francis was still staring at them open-mouthed.

"When did this happen?" he asked slowly, and Gilbert felt his heart sink into his knees. It was over. Their friendship, their connection that had gotten him through everything, was over.

"A bit before Christmas," Antonio's voice sounded equally as feeble, as unsure. His grip on Gilbert's hand was vice like. "We should have told you sooner, Fran. I know, but we were so nervous! We didn't even know if this would last and-" he looked over at Gilbert desperately. "We hope you're not angry."

There was a pause, long and strained. Gilbert could feel every beat of his heart snap back at him like a rubber band. He watched every minute detail of Francis' face, waiting for the inevitable fallout. How could they have been so stupid, how could they let this all fall to hell?

Instead, Francis broke into a smile, and he grabbed their free hands, giving them a squeeze and laughing. "Did you really think I would be mad?! Do you not know your own friend? I'm overjoyed, of course! I always knew you'd get together eventually."

Antonio and he exchanged identical stares. Whatever reaction they had been expecting, it certainly wasn't this. "Francis, is your mind fucked? You expected us to get together?!" Francis laughed, and no sound was sweeter.

"Oh please, you've been flirting with each other for years but were too thick-headed to know it." He winked at them. "Ludwig, Lovino, and I were taking bets on when you two would finally figure it out?"

There were a few things Gilbert hadn't expected to hear from this. One, was Francis seemingly waiting for him and Antonio to jump into bed together. Two, was Francis and his own damn brother taking bets on when they were jumping into bed together.

Beside him, Antonio was laughing in relief, wiping tears from his eyes. From happiness, from sheer emotion, Gilbert wasn't sure. "Lovino! I should have realized he would do something like that! Your brother really has rubbed off on him."

Gilbert was in a daze, still staring at Francis in disbelief. This couldn't be happening. Good things like this didn't happen to Gilbert. He had to fight and struggle for everything he had. Could it all work out so well?

Francis squeezed his hand once more, eyes filled with sincerity. "I'm happy for you two. Really. I'd never stand in the way of my two best friends falling in love."

That's how it had always been with them. Up to no good. Affectionate in ways only they could understand. Always having each other's backs.

And now, with Antonio's soft lips pressed against his cheek, with Francis' assuring hand in his own, nothing had changed.

**A/N:** My gift for the amazing Tumblr Secret Santa Rarepair Exchange. Prompt was Prussia/Spain Coffee Shop AU and I decided to put a bit of a different twist on the classic coffee shop setting. Germany/Romano was also requested so I wove little hints of them throughout as well. My first time writing Prain and I had a lot of fun doing it.


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